The present invention relates to a bill validator utilized in a vending machine which is capable of accepting and storing bills and in particular to a bill validator having a bill detection device.
Vending machines typically include coin changer devices for accepting coins of different denominations and bill validator devices or bill validators for accepting and storing paper currency. In particular, the bill validator device functions to authenticate bills or paper currency inserted into the vending machine and to store the bills for later retrieval. Known bill validator devices utilize various bill detection techniques and methods which include optical detection. In operation, a deposited bill is routed along a bill path to pass by optical sensors. The optical sensors are used to validate the bill and once validated and credited the bill is routed to a magazine for storage. One method which is used to defeat a bill validator is to attach string or tape to a bill and attempt to retrieve the bill once the bill has been accepted. It is important to be able to detect string, tape, or any other foreign object attached to a bill in order to prevent such fraud.
Accordingly, it is desirable and advantageous to provide a bill validator device having a detector device which is capable of determining whether string, tape, or any other foreign object has been attached to a bill. It would be further desirable to employ a bill validator which is capable of detecting a condition when a bill, which has been credited by the bill validator, is attempting to be retrieved. Additionally, it would be advantageous to have a bill validator device which is more accurate in detecting the presence of a bill or a foreign object in a bill passageway of the bill validator.
The bill validator device of the present invention is capable of detecting the presence of a bill with the bill validator comprising a bill passageway having a first side and a second side, a light source positioned at the first side, the light source for emitting light across the passageway, a reflecting surface positioned at the second side, and a detector device positioned at the first side, the detector device for receiving light reflected from the reflecting surface.
In another form of the present invention, a bill validator for detecting the presence of a bill comprises a bill passageway having a first side and a second side, a prism positioned at the first side, a reflecting surface positioned at the second side, a light source positioned at the first side, and a detector device positioned at the first side, the light source for emitting light at the prism to reflect the light across the passageway at the reflecting surface and the detector device for receiving light reflected from the reflecting surface.
Another form of the present invention is a bill validator for detecting the presence of a bill which comprises a bill passageway having a first side and a second side, a first prism positioned at the first side, a second prism positioned at the first side, a reflecting surface positioned at the second side, a light source positioned adjacent to the first prism, and a detector device positioned adjacent to the second prism, the light source for emitting light at the first prism to reflect the light across the passageway at the reflecting surface and the detector device for receiving light reflected through the second prism from the reflecting surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bill validator device which is capable of detecting bills and other objects inserted into the bill validator device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bill validator which has a validation portion which is of compact design.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bill validator device which can be used to distinguish between a number of different objects without the need for replicative circuitry.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator device which is usable with other coin detection and validation devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator device for use in coin operated vending systems for distinguishing between acceptable bills and unacceptable objects deposited by customers.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator device for identifying undesired and counterfeit bills or currencies and non-bill objects, and for also determining and aiding in the determination of acceptable bills.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: